PBA Scores, News and Updates

[2013rev2013]

MANILA, Philippines — After doing his due diligence, PBA Commissioner Chito Salud Thursday that the three applicants for the expansion are all financially capable to sustain teams in the PBA.
Salud said that he is recommending the acceptance of Ever Bilena (Blackwater Sports), Columbia Automotive Corporation (Kia Motors), and Metro Pacific Investments (NLEx) into the PBA.
“I have checked their financials. They are all capable. I will recommend their acceptance to the PBA board,” Salud said.
The decision now lies with the PBA Board of Governors as the applicants need at least 3/4 or eight votes from the members to get accepted into Asia’s first play-for-pay league. The board will convene on April 10.
Salud said that possibility of expanding the league to 13 teams is a product of the hard work of the players and the league for nearly four decades.
“I do believe that adding three more teams validates what we have been working hard for, what these players have been working hard for,” he said.
“Never has it happened [that there were] three applications for expansion. We have to congratulate our players for that for working hard.”



ayun oh, finishing touches na lang.. 






Ang LIKE icon di lang ginawa para pang-decorasyon, pwede mo rin i-push yan!
LiKe LanG nG LiKe!

[Zurca]

Evergreen Asi Taulava in talks on new Air21 deal that could keep him in the league until he's 44

AT age 41, Asi Taulava remains one of the most sought after big men in the PBA.

The Air21 big man is being eyed by at least two pro teams, although his agent made it clear Taulava is happy with the Express and is in talks for a three-year extension that would keep him in the league until he's 44.

“May mga interesado sa kanya. Pero sa ngayon, walang balak si Boss Lito (Alvarez, Air21 governor) na pakawalan siya,” said a source, who revealed keen interest from San Miguel Beer and Meralco.

Interestingly, Taulava played for San Miguel in the Asean Basketball League while Meralco was the team that sent the evergreen 6-9 slotman in a trade to Air21.

However, the Air21 source said Taulava is attracting renewed interest from teams which need a major presence in the middle when the import height limit goes back to 6-5 for the Governors Cup.

“Next conference kasi babalik sa 6-5 ang import. Kaya malamang karamihan sa mga teams nag-fo-focus ulit sa paghahanap ng big man,” said the source.

Taulava’s agent, Sheryl Reyes,said Taulava is right now leaning toward staying at Air 21.

“Wala eh (feelers ngayon). Air 21 pa rin kami. And we’re happy how he is being treated there,” said Reyes, who bared that Taulava’s contract with Air 21 will expire on August.

“Yung contract negotiation namin dito is long term, three years. Saka may plan for him ang Lina Group of Companies when he retires. We’re looking at security of tenure,” she added.

Still, Reyes said nothing is etched in stone.

“Right now, willing sila (Air 21) to give him three years of playing contract. That’s the best situation for Asi. And with his self-discipline, I believe Asi can still play at the same level,” said the outspoken female agent.

“But at the end of the day it is still up to the decision of Air 21, if he will stay or leave."

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Helterbrand says import Josh Powell's value to Ginebra not reflected in statistics

BARANGAY Ginebra guard Jayjay Helterbrand has been in the league long enough to tell what type of import can bring the Kings deep into the playoffs.

And one look at Josh Powell had him giving the thumbs up.

The 6-8 Powell wasn’t spectacular after finishing with just 16 points and 15 rebounds in his debut in an 88-78 win over Meralco last week - numbers that pale in comparison to the statistics piled up by his fellow imports or even the man he replaced at Ginebra, Leon Rodgers.

But more than just the points and rebounds, Helterbrand said it is the energy, experience and the intangibles that the two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers bring to the table that make him confident about the Gin Kings' chances in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.

“The import gave us a lot of energy. I think our bigs, I can tell from just watching the game (against Meralco), they are learning something from our import, and that’s really good,” the one-time PBA MVP told Spin.ph.

With Powell setting the tone on defense and setting the picks on offense, Helterbrand said it was so easy for the rest of Ginebra's players to get good looks at the basket.

No less than five local players scored in double figures against Meralco.

“He’s (Powell) really a big help. You can tell why he played in the NBA. His experience, he ended up with four fouls but he finished the game with four fouls,” said the 37-year-old Ginebra playmaker.

“He’s just so strong, he knows how to set picks, and the way he sets pick, that’s what we need because we’re a pick and roll team,” he added.

“If we have a guy who sets picks like that, we’ll get shots, that’s what happens.”

And things are bound to get better for Ginebra, Helterbrand said, with the All-Star break giving Powell more time to acclimatize and blend with the locals - and veteran like him and Mark Caguioa the chance to rest their banged-up bodies.

“It (All-Star break) allowed the older guys like me and Mark to rest and the import to get more acclimated. And I think he’ll (Powell) be even better once settled in,” said the former Kentucky State University standout.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Simon lifts San Mig Coffee over Air21 (04/09/14)

MANILA, Philippines – A 20-point production built on timely baskets by veteran guard PJ Simon helped the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers arrest their two-game slide via a solid pummeling of the Air21 Express, 97-84, on Wednesday, April 9 as the 2014 PLDT Home TVolution Commissioner's Cup returned to action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Simon, who noted the PBA All-Star break did him good, scored only 8 points in the first half before dropping 12 in the second half, with 7 in the fourth, as the Mixers rose to 4-2 in the standings.

But for the Mixers, the free throw line was also a best friend in this game.

Whether it was earning the two freebies via a strong drive to the hoop to fish the foul, or a chance to complete a 3-point play, the Mixers utilized fully their trips to the stripe.

After only 12 free throw attempts for the entire first half from both teams (3-of-4 by the Mixers and 7-of-8 by the Express), the number suddenly rose to 46 in total in the second half with San Mig Coffee making the most of it, 19-of-23.

The free throws became especially crucial for the Mixers in the third canto as it changed the complexion of the game in their favor.

With Air21 consistently sticking to San Mig Coffee, the Express looked primed to wrest control of the wheel at the 8:37 mark of the third when Jonas Villanueva tied the count at 53. But the back-to-back champions began breaking the game wide open at that juncture with a 10-0 blast, which was built mostly by charities.

Air21 responded by heaving three-pointers that would not hit its mark.

"We played with a lot more togetherness and connection in the third quarter. We connected a lot better than we have been over the last couple of games," said Mixers head coach Tim Cone. "I felt coming out of halftime there was a better sense of urgency, which I think was what we were lacking in the past couple of games. We kind of came up with it there in the third quarter."

The fourth then became all about maintaining energy for Cone's wards, who continued to push the ball as well as test the speed and endurance of a now 3-4 Air21, scoring 29 points on 16 fastbreak attempts. Air21 converted only 13 from their 14 attempts.

San Mig eventually built their biggest lead of the game at 88-68 on two free throws by import James Mays midway in the payoff period as they hustled and converted their defensive efforts to points on the other end.

Mays topscored for San Mig Coffee with 23 markers and 15 rebounds while Marc Pingris, who was a pure hustler once again for SMC - even grabbing an offensive rebound at one point and scoring over two guys in purple - added 12 points and 3 boards.

The Express, on the other hand, were carried by Wesley Witherspoon's 27 points and 16 rebounds, which wasn't enough for them to follow up on their win against Barangay Ginebra.

However, Air21 still picked up a good performance from Sean Anthony, who played his first game for Air21 since being traded from Talk 'N Text together with Eliud Poligrates for KG Canaleta last conference. He paced Air21 with 19 points and 7 rebounds.

Mark Cardona, who, according to Cone, was one of the targets of San Mig's stingy defense together with Witherspoon, was limited to just 10 points on 4-of-11 field goal shooting.

Scores:

San Mig Coffee (97): Mays 23, Simon 20, Pingris 12, Devance 11, Yap 9, Sangalang 8, Barroca 6, Cawaling 3, Melton 3, De Ocampo 2, Gaco 0, Mallari 0, Reavis 0.

Air21 (84): Witherspoon 27, Anthony 19, Yeo 11, Cardona 10, Villanueva 5, Taulava 4, Burtscher 2, Camson 2, Ramos 0.

Quarters: 20-18; 45-44; 77-62; 97-84.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Talk 'N Text survives loss of import Howell as Rain or Shine comeback falls short (04/09/14)

TALK ‘N Text endured the loss of import Richard Howell in the entire second half as it outlasted Rain or Shine, 85-82 to move within a win of sweeping the single-round eliminations of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters played with a greater sense of urgency despite missing Howell, who landed awkwardly on his right shoulder while trying to go hard for a layup against Paul Lee late in the second period.

Howell eventually left the Big Dome before the start of the third quarter to undergo an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) at the Makati Medical Center to determine the severity of his injury.

Despite the absence of the 6-8 NBA D-League veteran, the Tropang Texters took leads of as many as 16 points in the second half behind Larry Fonacier, Kelly Williams and Jason Castro.

The Elasto Painters managed to close in at 82-84 on a long three-point bomb by Paul Lee, but Rain or Shine import Wayne Chism lost the handle of the ball while trying to go for a rebound off Jimmy Alapag’s missed foul throw, giving Talk ‘N Text possession with less than 10 seconds left.

The Elasto Painters then sent Fonacier to the foul line in the ensuing play, but the former Ateneo gunner could only split his charities, giving Rain or Shine another chance to send the game into overtime with a three-point attempt.

However, Beau Belga’s fallaway three-point attempt though failed to miss the mark, allowing Talk ‘N Text to improve to a league-best 8-0 win-loss record and clinch the top seeding in the playoffs.

“I’m very glad to be able to survive this game, which turned out to be a very physical game,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black.

“I’m not too sure about my import, who had his MRI at the hospital. He came in contact with Paul Lee. We just have to wait and find out what happens after that,” he added.

Black said he hasn’t entertained thoughts of finding a standby import, pending the MRI result of Howell.

Meantime, the loss dropped Rain or Shine to 3-4 and a four-way tie for fifth to eight spots in the standings with Ginebra, Air21 and Meralco as the race to the playoffs heated up.

Nino Canaleta led the Tropang Texters with 19 points.

Howell scored two points but had nine rebounds during the first half.

Rain or Shine, which missed the services of coach Yeng Guiao who is on a business trip to Europe, drew 18 points and 10 rebounds from Chism but paid dearly for the boo-boo of the import in the endgame.

The scores:

Talk 'N Text 85 - Canaleta 19, Williams 13, Seigle 12, Fonacier 11, Castro 8, De Ocampo 7, Carey 5, Alapag 5, Reyes 3, Howell 2, Reyes 0, Baclao 0.

Rain or Shine 82 - Chism 18, Belga 12, Lee 11, Tiu 8, Chan 7, Arana 6, Almazan 5, Norwood 5, Cruz 4, Rodriguez 4, Tang 2, Uyloan 0, Nuyles 0, Teng 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 36-37, 70-54, 85-82

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Historic day as PBA welcomes three news teams to take league membership to an all-time high 13 ballclubs

HE PBA board of governors on Thursday unanimously approved the applications of three companies for expansion franchises, raising to an all-time high 13 the number of teams in the league next season.

After a marathon four-hour meeting at the league office in Libis, Quezon City, the PBA board gave the green light to Blackwater Sports/ Ever Bilena, NLEX of the Manny V. Pangilinan group and Columbia Autocar Corporation to form their pro teams in time for the league's 40th season.

“Three applied, three were recommended for approval and now, three were approved,” PBA commissioner Chito Salud proudly announced after emerging from the special meeting.

“That’s a first, it’s a momentous occasion for the PBA. Three expansion teams coming in all at the same time, in time for our 40th season. nothing can be more exciting than that,” he added.

The entry of three expansion teams is also the highest since Pepsi and Sarsi were welcomed in 1990.

Salud said all three new league members have been informally and verbally notified of the board’s decision. A formal acceptance letter will be sent to them shortly.

“They (three new members) have been informally and verbally notified on their acceptance. They’ll be sent their format acceptance of membership within the week and we will expect their formal reply in the soonest possible time,” explained the league’s commissioner.

No special concession was given to any of the three new member squads, except that the existing 10-member PBA squads will be allowed to protect only 14 players from their rosters.

“The (current PBA) teams have 14 players in their roster and then they have two extra players that are called the restricted free agents. So the teams have decided to let go of the two players in excess of their team, which will make up around 25 players,” explained Salud.

Salud also mentioned that they’ll be gathering around 40 more players from free agent ranks, which would give each of the three new member clubs a pool of around 65 players to choose from in an expansion draft to be staged in the middle of July - or just less than two weeks after the end of the 39th season.

From SPIN.ph

[2013rev2013]

Ayun oh..
Exciting to..
Papasok si ray parks ng walang draft..

[kingjames24szupladoh]

No Direct Hire sa mga New Teams na papasok next Season. . .
Dadaan pa din sa Draft sina Ray Parks, Kevin Alas, etc.


See HERE

[Zurca]

Meralco storms back in the second half to shock Barako (04/11/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Not even a giant lead is insurmountable for the defiant Meralco Bolts.

Dead and out in the beginning of the match, the Bolts stormed back with an electrifying comeback in the second half to shock Barako Bull, 105-98, in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup on Friday, April 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bolts trailed by as much as 22 but pulled off a colossal comeback to win and move to 5th in the team standings while also barging into the quarterfinals with a 4-4 card. The Energy, meanwhile, dropped to 2-6 with other teams holding their fate and whether or not they will qualify for the next round.

Down by as much as 22 at 22-44, the Bolts started coming back behind 3 triples by Jared Dillinger late in the second quarter, bringing the lead down to 42-51.

Coach Ryan Gregorio's wards continued the pressure in the third period, with backup point guard Chris Timberlake providing the spark.

Meralco then put the clamps on a frustrated Josh Dollard, forcing him to take ill-advised shots and shutting him down in the penultimate quarter.

The Bolts entered the final period down by just a point, while Chris Timberlake's free throws at the start of the fourth gave Meralco their first lead of the night at 75-74.

From there, teams wents back and forth, although Meralco got the better of the exchange as Gary David and import Darnell Jackson joined hands in a 13-5 blast that gave them the 96-88 lead with just 3:45 left.

A baseline drive by JC Intal and two charities by Willie Miller pushed Barako within 92-96, before Reynel Hugnatan's turnaround hook made it 98-92 for the Bolts, 1:25 to go.

A Dollard trey on the other end tried to make up for two costly turnovers by Mick Pennisi, cutting the deficit to 4, 95-99.

But four straight free throws by David sealed the deal for the Bolts, 105-98, leaving just 12.2 ticks on the clock.

Scores:

Meralco (105) - Jackson 30, Dillinger 16, David 15, Wilson 15, Timberlake 12, Hodge 10, Hugnatan 7, Caram 0, Salvacion 0, Sena 0, Guevarra 0.

Barako Bull (98) - Dollard 33, Intal 12, Pennisi 12, Fortuna 11, Miller 9, Miranda 8, Wilson 7, Marcelo 3, Buenafe 3, Pena 0. Quarterscores: 20-33, 42-54, 73-74, 105-98

From Rappler.com

[2013rev2013]

No Direct Hire sa mga New Teams na papasok next Season. . .
Dadaan pa din sa Draft sina Ray Parks, Kevin Alas, etc.


See HERE

ay ganun, sayang naman, para solid pa rin sana yung team pag pumasok ng PBA.. 

[Zurca]

Importless Texters survive Globalport, sweep elims (04/11/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Even without import Richard Howell who is nursing a shoulder injury, the powerhouse Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters was able to remain sharp and perfect.

Jayson Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo bailed out the Tropang Texters from defeat, prevailing against a determined Globalport crew, 92-91 in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup on Friday, April 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Castro canned in a long range bomb - his only field goal of the night - over the defense of Ronnie Matias with just 29.6 ticks left, pushing the Texters ahead 89-85 and sank two free throws later on while De Ocampo fired big baskets in the fourth period, dousing Globalport's quest of nailing their first win in the conference.

The Batang Pier went neck and neck with the league leaders until the final buzzer, knowing it is their ultimate chance to end the slump;but lost the heart-breaking thriller as Evan Brock failed to hit a free throw that could have tied the game with just 1.9 seconds remaining.

The Tropang Texters had to fend off a tremendous performance from Alex Cabagnot before becoming the first PBA squad in 24 years to sweep the elimination round. They finished with a 9-0 card and shall carry a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals.

Globalport meanwhile found themselves on the very bottom of the standings with a winless record in 8 games.

Down 63-67, Talk 'N Text opened the fourth canto with seven straight points, capped by a Larry Fonacier trey to regain the lead at 70-67.

Alex Cabagnot and Kelly Williams then traded baskets, with the former's hoop giving Globalport a 77-76 edge.

But Ranidel de Ocampo, a strong candidate for this conference's best player honors, decided to take the matters into his own hands, draining two triples and a three-point play to hand coach Norman Black the 85-80 lead in the final 3:55.

A trey from Cabagnot and a basket inside by Brock made it 85-86 with only 1:25 to go, before Castro nailed a crucial three.

Cabagnot answered with two freebies, 87-89 before Batang Pier were given a golden opportunity by Castro as he dribbled the basketball off his foot coming from an inbounds play.

Globalport then mapped out a play and went to Cabagnot who faked a shot from three-point land, trying to fish a foul from Williams. Williams bit the fake but while there was contact, no foul was called.

That play led to a Castro rebound. He was immediately sent to the line and sank two more free throws to make it 91-87, 6.5 ticks left.

But Cabagnot was determined enough to hand the Batang Pier their first victory, nailing a huge triple from top of the key with just 3.8 seconds left to make it a one-point game, 90-91.

De Ocampo then split from the line before Brock drew a foul from Harvey Carey on the other end coming off a timeout.

However, the import's second throw came up short, thus enabling TNT to survive.

De Ocampo scored 12 of his 17 points in the 4th to lead the Texters while Kelly Williams had 16 points and 11 rebounds as the duo took care of TNT's frontline sans Howell.

Scores:

Talk 'N Text (92) - De Ocampo 17, Williams 16, Seigle 16, Fonacier 15, Canaleta 10, Castro 5, Alapag 4, Aban 3, Salamat 2, Baclao 2, Carey 2, Reyes Rob 0, Reyes Jai 0, Reyes Ryan 0.

GlobalPort (91) - Cabagnot 29, Brock 26, Salva 10, Salvador 8, Nabong 6, Macapagal 6, Matias 2, Sharma 2, Custodio 2, Yee 0, Chua 0, Garcia 0.

Quarterscores: 22-19, 40-41, 63-67, 92-91

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Pacquiao to suit up for Kia?

Las Vegas — Manny Pacquiao is truly full of surprises. In an announcement that caught the Filipino press contingent here by, what else, surprise, Pacquiao said on Thursday that he is going to suit up for Kia Motors when the new ballclub plays in the PBA in October.

Kia was one of three teams accepted as new member of the PBA the other day.

Pacquiao, who faces Tim Bradley in a rematch this Saturday at the MGM Grand, did not disclose the details about his PBA debut but expressed excitement over the prospects of donning the jersey of the Columbian Auto-owned franchise.

Pacquiao did not say how he will get into the team since there will be draft for PBA players. It could not be determined how the PBA will treat Pacquiao’s entry into the professional league since he is an active boxer and a congressman from Sarangani.

But Pacquiao is an avid hoops player and also owns and operates a team based in his native General Santos City.

Pacquiao also plays basketball during his free time and in-between fights, citing it helps him get into shape for a big fight.

Besides Kia, the PBA also accepted Blackwater and NLEX as new PBA members.

Save for Kia Motors, the two have active squads playing in the PBA D-League.

At 5-foot-6 and weighing somewhere between 140 to 155 when he is not training for a fight, Pacquiao will probably be one of the shortest cagers to play in the league.

Finally, a guy like Chris Monfort will get the chance to play alongside somebody who has got the same size as him.

From Manila Bulletin

[Zurca]

Beermen stay in No. 2 after rout of Mixers (04/12/14)

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel weathered repeated rallies all game long to shut down San Mig Coffee, 97-88 in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup on Saturday, April 12 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Back from a 15-day lay-off, the Beermen appeared as if they did not miss a beat to tighten their hold of the No. 2 spot in the team standings with a 6-2 card. The Mixers meanwhile dropped to 4-3.

Marcio Lassiter shot 50% from three-point land to finish with 19 points and 4 assists, helping the Beermen keep San Mig at bay while Kevin Jones led everyone with 26 markers.

"We did our best to use that time wisely and prepare for a two-time champ. Regardless of the standings, I still believe San Mig is the team to beat," said SMB active consultant Todd Purves.

And although the second twice-to-beat incentive may already be secured, Purves says they're taking it just one step at a time.

"We are just focusing on the next game. We're not done yet in the elimination."

"Although Sol (Mercado) only scored 1 point, he defended the guys well especially in the last stretch," added head coach Biboy Ravanes.

Kevin Jones hit his first four shots as the Beermen got off to a rousing start; Marcio Lassiter then poured 9 points in the second period that gave San Miguel their biggest edge at 50-38 before entering the break.

Marc Pingris also left the game in the second quarter after complaining about pain on his left ribs he possibly sustained after a collision with June Mar Fajardo in that period.

Chris Ross then fueled the Beermen assault early in the third, cruising for fastbreak buckets that made it a 63-45 bubble.

But Peter June Simon, James Yap, and Joe Devance quickly responded, conspiring for an 11-3 run that brought the lead down to 9,
57-66.

From there it was a see-saw battle, but a 9-2 run highlighted by triples each from Jones, Lassiter, and Arwind Santos turned an 88-79 lead into an insurmountable 97-81, 3:36 to go.

The Mixers were never able to bounce back after that point, going scoreless in the next two minutes.

SMB did a better job in the rebounding department, grabbing 51 boards including 20 offensive compared to only 44 and 15 for San Mig Coffee. This translated into 15 second chance points for Ravanes' wards.

The Beermen also took advantage of 16 Mixer turnovers that became 20 points of their own.

James Mays had a relatively silent game for the Mixers, finishing with just 15 points and 14 rebounds as Coach Tim Cone's troops lost 3 of their last 4 outings.

Scores:

San Miguel (97) - Jones 26, Lassiter 19, Ross 16, Fajardo 15, Kramer 8, Santos 7, Tubid 5, Mercado 1, Duncil 0, Hubalde 0, Lutz 0.

San Mig Coffee (88) - Mays 15, Simon 15, Sangalang 13, Devance 12, Barroca 11, Yap 9, Pingris 6, De Ocampo 2, Mallari 2, Reavis 2, Melton 1.

Quarterscores: 25-23, 50-42, 78-69, 97-88.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Cabagnot catches fire, hands Globalport conference-ending win (04/13/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Fighting for pride, the Globalport Batang Pier finally found a way to achieve something they almost forgot doing this conference: winning.

In a battle of two squads coming from heart-breaking losses, the Batang Pier made sure this time they would deliver in the end to edge Barako Bull, 98-96 in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup on Sunday, April 13 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Alex Cabagnot salvaged his squad some pride after hitting the go-ahead triple from the left wing with just 10.9 seconds left to give the Batang Pier a 96-93 edge, and sank two more free throws to douse water on the Energy's comeback aspirations.

Cabagnot finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals to pace the Batang Pier - who almost wasted a 21-point edge.

The Batang Pier snapped an 8-game losing skid, avoided becoming the first team since Shopinas.com with a winless conference, and also gave head coach Pido Jarencio his first win as PBA head coach.

"At least happy ending diba. Last game ng conference nanalo. Stepping stone na yan. At least nakapanalo na ng isa," said Jarencio after the hard-fought victory.

(At least we had a happy ending. This first win is a stepping stone towards the next conference)

Behind the hot hands of Evan Brock and Nico Salva, who combined for 17 first quarter points, Globalport buried Barako Bull early, 29-12.

The Energy slowly rose from a slumber in the next quarter, bringing down the lead to just 3 at 35-38 with Jeric Fortuna exploding for three long-range bombs in a 15-5 Barako run.

RR Garcia answered back with two straight treys of his own to give Globalport some breathing room heading into the halftime huddle.

In the third quarter, it was Mark Macapagal's turn to come out with guns blazing, drilling back-to-back threes and also feeding Brock for thunderous alley-oop slams to open another double-digit advantage - their biggest - at 67-46.

But Barako didn't want to end their season crashing, battling back little by little. Down 72-86 in the final period, Ronjay Buenafe hit two triples while Dave Marcelo made key baskets inside as the Energy scored a 16-5 straight to make it 88-91, with only 2:13 left in regulation.

Intal and Macapagal then traded free throws before Intal hit a trey to knot the count at 93, 59.1 to go.

A Brock miss on the other end gave Barako a chance to take the lead, but Buenafe's intended pass to Josh Dollard was foiled by Brock.

After the timeout that left Globalport 19 seconds on the shotclock to operate, the Batang Pier went to their leader Alex Cabagnot, who dribbled time away before converting on the go-ahead three-point basket, 96-93, 10.9 seconds left.

The Energy had one final opportunity to come back, but Intal had difficulties inbounding and threw the possession away, leading to two assurance free throws by Cabagnot.

Barako Bull formally crashes out of the playoff race, wounding up with a 2-7, joining Globalport at the cellar of the team standings.

Asked about their plans for the future, Jarencio said they are keen on improving even more.

"Lahat naman ng teams nag-struggle sa umpisa. Naghahanap na kami ng import (for the Governors' Cup) and will start practicing."

(Every team struggles in the beginning. We're already in the hunt for an import [for the Governor's Cup] and will start practicing.)

Brock added 27 points and 16 rebounds while Mark Macapagal chipped in 21 marker on 5/11 3-PT shooting to help in Globalport's morale-boosting victory.

Scores:

Globalport (98) - Brock 27, Macapagal 21, Cabagnot 14, Garcia 12, Nabong 9, Salva 7, Washington 4, Salvador 2, Custodio 2, Matias 0.

Barako Bull (96) - Dollard 22, Intal 16, Pennisi 13, Fortuna 11, Buenafe 11, Lastimosa 7, Marcelo 6, Miranda 4, Najorda 2, Jensen 2, Pena 2, Miller 0.

Quarterscores: 29-15, 51-42, 80-63, 98-96.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Aces continue rolling with destruction of Ginebra (04/13/14)

MANILA, Philippines - You can't count Alaska out.

In a rematch of last year's finalists, Alaska dominated a lackluster Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel, 83-73 to show they're still a team to contend with in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup on Sunday, April 13 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The defending Commissioner's Cup titlists showcased their playoff form and had weapons aplenty to capture their 4th straight win and improve to 5-3, dropping Ginebra to 3-5 in the process.

Reigning Best Import of the Conference Rob Dozier asserted his might, scoring 22 points and hauling 16 rebounds, draining key baskets to answer Ginebra's rally.

Aces head coach Luigi Trillo attributes this win to their shellacking defense in the first half, limiting Ginebra to just 20.5% from the field and 24 points in the first 24 minutes of action.

"We did a good job in the first half, obviously, (Josh) Powell got injured and he couldn't come back. They went on fire in the third and fourth; they did not give up but without Powell, they were different," said Trillo.

"We don't want to focus on (the streak). It will get tougher from here and everybody wants to avoid Talk 'N Text."

Trillo added San Miguel, San Mig Coffee, and Brgy. Ginebra are the strongest teams in thr past conferences.

Coach Ato Agustin had to rely twin towers Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter as the Kings went all-Filipino in the third quarter. The two combined for 12 points in a 16-4 bomb halfway in the third period, momentarily bringing the crowd to life as Ginebra got within 42-49.

But the screeches would turn into silence afterwards as Rob Dozier would respond by scoring 8 in a 12-2 run that increased the Aces' lead to 61-44 heading into the final period.

From there the Aces were able to protect their lead until the end, dodging any meltdown or comeback attempts from their opponents.

JVee Casio fired 13 points while Dondon Hontiveros added 10 markers and 9 boards.

Powell, who was supposedly suffering from a minor foot injury, had a scoreless night for Ginebra. The Kings shot a miserable 34.2% from the field, including 10.7% from three-point territory.

The Kings were led by Greg Slaughter who finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Scores:

Alaska (83) - Dozier 22, Casio 13, Hontiveros 10, Espinas 8, Manuel 8, Baguio 8, Jazul 6, Thoss 4, Reyes 2, Abueva 2, Dela Cruz 0, Buenafe 0.

Brgy. Ginebra (73) - Slaughter 20, Aguilar 12, Tenorio 11, Baracael 8, Ellis 6, Caguioa 6, Urbiztondo 5, Reyes 3, Helterbrand 2, Powell 0, Ababou 0.

From Rappler.com